Liberation
by demented bunny
Summary: During World War Two Edward, along with his comrades, liberates the deserted Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. When Edward had thought there was no one left he spots a young girl hidden among the dead, breathing and weak. EdwardxBella-what if?


**I got this idea a while ago but didn't post it because I was hoping to turn it into a story. However it doesn't look like that will be happening now. So please enjoy this one-shot. **

Bella's frail fingers gripped the cold flesh that hid her body. She preffered the smothering stench that engulfed her to the lingering winter chill and so she held the decaying corpses of the fellow prisoners close to her body, desperate for it's thin veil of shuddered slightly at the sound of heavy boots and she wondered whether to shove away the bodies incase the soldiers hauled away the dead, they rarely checked to see who was alive amongst them but they had not cleared away the dead in a long while and Bella felt sure that something was the matter. Many had died in the past weeks due to nothing more then pure neglect, which had escalated rapidly. Fewer and fewer soldiers had come and soon, had stopped coming at all.

The weak had died long ago and the strong were on death's doorstep. Bella tipped her head foreward, in habit of old times when she would duck her head shyly and allow her long curtain of hair to cover her face. She knew it was silly, that when her mouth was too parched for saliva to well in her mouth from the hunger and she was too weak to even lift her arms, she still missed her hair. She had always been complimented on it's beautiful colour and texture. It was her only point of vanity and though she was humble by nature she had always taken great pride in her carefully groomed locks. She had been close to tears when they shaved it all off, crudely commenting that it was good enough to sell.

The heavy footsteps halted and Bella let out a breath, which racked thoughout her starving figure. She knew by the heavy fall of the boots that it surely must be the soldiers. She had wished they would not come back, that they would at least now allow them to die in peace.

She heard the heavy door grate against the concrete and light filtered through the cramped chamber. She heard a heavy sigh and a soft authoritive voice filled the air "Get more men over here". Another voice spoke and she heard a slight groan from somewhere amongst the mass of bodies. There was a startled gasp and the same man spoke again "Drop what you're doing men, there are some still living in here". There was a moment's pause before similiar heavy footsteps approached, sounding thunderous to her weak ears.

"Hurry men", another gruff voice chimed "they're buried beneath the dead", Bella rose her head slightly, surprised at the urgency in the man's tone and she prayed that perhaps these soldiers were the kind soldiers, come to free them.

Bella made to stir, to alert them to her whereabouts but she hadn't the strength to even raise her head once more and instead she waited, fighting sleep for fear they would mistake her for dead. Instead she listened to their shuffling feet as they carried the frail bodies easily. She listened hopefully as they would occasionally call out that they had found a pulse, and with every pulse found they would hasten their actions, eager to save the living.

"Fuck those bastards", she heard one mutter under his breath and Bella was suddenly appreciative of all the time she had spent sitting at the kitchen table as her father taught her English. "I swear if I ever came across the cowards who did this I'll make them pay". "Calm down Emmett", Bella recognised his as the first voice she'd heard. "Ed's right", another man said, a thick English accent laced his tone, stronger then the other two "Knowing those Nazi fuckers they'd probably enjoy it". Bella listened as snickers rippled through the flurry of men and she couldn't help but admire how high spirited they were. It reminded her greatly of Jacob and her heart ached, hoping beyong hope that they had killed him already and he had not been tortured as she was. She longed to believe that they had killed him quickly and he had never been subjected to truly realising the cruelty of the country they had once called beloved and, that his spirit had never been broken as hers so thoroughly was.

"A few of them stayed behind", another man said. "I hope you shot them", the man they had named as Emmett muttered under his breath. "No point", the man with the softer voice said, Ed. "Why shoot them when we can get them to do some of the work", the man with the thick English accent suggested.

Emmett spoke again, anger evident in his words "They don't have the right, to even lay their eyes on these people. Not after what they've done". The door was pushed open again and another man, with a slight rasping quality to his voice spoke "They should have to pay for their sins". "And it's enough", Ed asked, "for them to lay these poor souls to rest. Shall we forgive them then", he spat.

Silence hung in the air before the men set back to work. Bella felt a weight being lifted from her side and she shivered involuntarily as the cold air hit her bare torso. They had yet to notice her and her throat ached too greatly for her to call out so there she lay, awaiting discovery.

"How many doctors have we got?", the man with the heavy accent inquired. "Enough for the most urgent cases, more will be arriving in the morning", Ed said his voice tight as Emmett muttered under his breath "they're all bloody urgent cases". "True Emmett", Ed replied "but you know how the rules. Women and children get treated first". "You know", another man murmured "for the sake of my gender I feel like I should contest to that", he chuckled with his friends though they didn't seem at all serious.

"Hey Ed", the heavily accented man called out "yeah", he replied softly. "This girl here, I think she's breathing". Bella felt a warm hand touch her wrist, pressing gently into her pulse point. "Nice one Jasper", Ed commented. Jasper grunted in response and Bella could hear a smirk in his tone "Does this mean you'll finally give me permission to marry your sister?", he asked, amusement colouring his words. Had Bella the energy to turn she was sure she'd see the other man roll his eyes. "Why don't you try getting Alice to say yes before you go looking for my permission". Chuckles ran through the men as gentle hands came to rest on my jutting hips. Gently I was hauled from the timber bunks, and swiftly the man wrapped a thick fabric over my chest, to shield me from the other men's eyes. I was swung slowly into a pair of strong arms, the kind I had long forgotten existed and I swayed from side to side as he walked. With what little strength I had left I pulled the fabric close to me and leaned fully into the man's radiating warmth.

**Review Please. Also is the layout ok? or should I put more spaces between the sentences to make it easier to read?**


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